By Gina Horan
Special Events Caterer Chef Ponder Brings Soul to Every Occasion
Most people know him simply as “Ponder,” the name you’ll hear called out at events and in kitchens across the Central Florida catering scene. It suits a man shaped by experience.
Raised in Miami by strong women and trained both at home and through formal culinary programs, personal chef and special events, caterer Michael Ponder Jr. serves everything from private dinners to large civic gatherings. His approach to food centers on authenticity and community, with the table as the place people come together.
“I’m just a kid from Miami,” he says. “And I love the life I’ve created here.”
He learned to cook standing beside his grandmother, Mary Culpepper, and his mother, Lasharn Barnes, watching closely and doing the work by hand.
“I learned to roll the collard greens, chop them myself and cook them the old-school way,” he says.
Formal culinary training came later, after an appendicitis surgery sidelined him during his senior football season and forced him to rethink his path. He enrolled in Job Corps in Kentucky, where he received professional culinary training and found direction.
His background formed a foundation and it still defines his food. When people see Ponder cooking, they know what they’re getting.
“They say, ‘That’s the Southern boy. That’s the Miami boy who does his collard greens right,’” he says.
While his food carries soul food traditions and he is strongly supported by the Black community, his reach extends far beyond that.
“Even in communities where soul food isn’t passed down through generations, people request it from me because it’s authentic,” he says.
Ponder officially launched his catering business in 2018, encouraged by his wife, Samantha Bentley-Ponder.
“Did he tell you he catered his own wedding?” she says. “He’s just like that. He does it all.”
Samantha manages billing, helps with shopping and handles the business side of the operation. Ponder is quick to give her credit.
“She’s the boss,” he says. “I’m the cook.”
Married for 12 years, the two operate as a true partnership.
Ponder took on larger events as the business grew, including civic gatherings like the Leesburg Chamber of Commerce Fish Fry. The event required coordination, teamwork and trust across vendors and volunteers, and Ponder was especially proud to partner with the Leesburg High School culinary students to help prepare and serve the community.
“That’s our city,” he says. “Feeding people together matters and the students are a big part of that.”
Ponder’s commitment to young people extends beyond one-off events. He works as a mentor with Powerhouse Youth Project alongside Executive Director Scott Chevalier and regularly collaborates with instructor Chef John Bell and the Leesburg High School culinary program.
“Chef Ponder is good with the kids and they like working with him,” Chef Bell says. “He often has students work with him on big events and helps many see what hard work does and how to be successful.”
He believes keeping young people busy and accountable helps them stay out of trouble and gives them a sense of direction.
“I tell them straight up that they’re front-facing with folks and they need to be on time, clean their nails and brush their hair,” he says. “This is the real world.”
Ponder holds a catering liquor license and enjoys the challenge of large events and venues, but his favorite work happens in a quieter setting. Before a private dinner, he says he gets excited knowing the meal will unfold in someone’s home rather than a crowded venue. The smaller setting lets him connect with the people he’s cooking for and the work feels most natural there.
“Less stress and more work when it’s at someone’s home,” he says. “It’s just me.”
No matter what the job, however, Ponder’s work has always been about more than just the food.
“My life centers on Jesus, family and service, too,” he says. “I appreciate my past and believe in the next generation because that’s where community is built.”
Contact: 352.460.1496 / ponderthechef.com
Recipes
Rosemary Chicken
Cornbread
Neckbone Perloo Rice
Collard Greens with Smoked Sausage
Note from Chef Ponder:
Fresh collards are traditionally stripped, rolled, sliced and washed multiple times to remove grit — a labor-intensive ritual in many Southern kitchens. Michael says that pre-shredded greens are perfectly fine and are widely used in restaurants and for catering to speed up the process. “The real magic is in the seasoning and the slow cook,” he says.
Pound Cake
Photos: Nicole Hamel
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Gina moved to Central Florida in August 2021 from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a degree in linguistics and worked as a fashion editor, photo stylist lifestyle columnist and food writer for the Knight Ridder Newspaper Group. She also covered and photographed music festivals, fashion shows and sports throughout Northern California. In 2000, she joined KSAN radio as a morning show co-host and produced the news and sports content there for four years. She later covered travel, events and the restaurant scene for KRON-Bay TV. A veteran bartender, Gina has worked in hospitality on and off since high school. She has been with Akers Media since 2022 and hosts the Healthy Living Central Florida podcast. Her passions include travel, road trips, baseball, history books and podcasts, tasting menus and arriving in a new city without a map or guidebook.
